Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program

Mission and Program Aims

DHR Health operates within the socio-political context of the South Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV). This context influences its mission, operations, and priorities. DHR Health was established in 1997 by a group of local physicians who currently serve on our governing board and are faculty in our GME programs. They came together to address limited healthcare access challenges in the RGV, a region lacking adequate public and county hospitals. Our region is plagued by the social inequities and disparities, found only in few regions throughout the nation. The area’s high poverty rate (33%) and uninsured population (35%) limit access to multidisciplinary healthcare, timely treatment and research; which are essential in achieving great outcomes, especially in devastating chronic illnesses such as oncology and hematology. This program is structured with the goal of addressing these health disparities, while educating and exposing our fellows to the complex healthcare challenges prevalent in underserved, disenfranchised and rural communities, such as those in the RGV. Our fellows abide to the high standards of our Sponsoring Institution's (DHR Health) mission, which is to improve the well-being of those we serve with a commitment to excellence: every patient, every encounter, every time. DHR's vision is to create a world-class health system to advance medicine and increase access for the communities we serve by empowering caregivers to heal through compassion, knowledge, innovation, integrated care, and excellence. DHR CARES defines our values which include Compassion, Accountability, Responsibility, Excellence through Knowledge, Safety and Social Conscience. The DHR Health Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program will be dedicated to training inclusive, comprehensive fellows characterized as clinicians, scholars, educators, future leaders and patient advocates. Our supportive and socioeconomically diverse environment fosters academic and personal growth, as well as compassionate, high quality, patient-centered care. We are committed to serving our community, especially the underserved, by delivering excellent care always - without exception. Our mission is to provide fellows with a well-rounded education and multidisciplinary clinical experience in an educational environment beyond just the practice of medicine, such as quality improvement, patient experience, informatics, education, leadership, and advocacy. We pride ourselves on our excellent, world-class patient care as well as our family-oriented residency and fellowship programs.

Application and Interview Process

Contact Us

Linda P. Cuellar

Faculty

• Jose Cruz, DO, MPH – Program Director / Internal Medicine / Medical Oncology / Hematology
• Relindis Azenwi Fru, MD – Associate Program Director / Core Faculty / Internal Medicine / Hematology / Medical Oncology
• Sarada Gummadi, MD – Core Faculty / Medical Oncology / Hematology
• Krisztina Larson, MD – Core Faculty / Internal Medicine / Hematology / Medical Oncology
• Jose Almeda, MD – Faculty / Hepatobiliary Surgery
• David Alonzo, MD – Faculty / Urologic Oncology
• Lisa Chapa, MD – Faculty / Breast Surgical Oncology
• Oscar J. Garcia, MD – Faculty – Radiation Oncology
• Fernando Lambreton Hinojosa, MD – Faculty / Hepatology
• Lyuba Levine, MD, FACOG, FSGO – Faculty / Gynecologic Oncology
• Fernando Membreno, MD, MSc – Faculty / Hepatology
• Sal Mendez, DO – Faculty / Radiology
• Victor Reis, MD – Thoracic Surgery
• Juan Sanchez, MD – Faculty / Gastroenterology / Advanced Endoscopy
• Paul Shaughnessy, MD – Faculty / Hematology / Bone Marrow Transplant

Our Curriculum

Learn more regarding our Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program below.

Benefits & Stipend

Vacation and Sick Leave – ALL Residents receive fifteen (15) days of paid vacation and twelve (12) days of sick leave per year. Vacation and sick days do not carry over from year to year. All residents are eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks of leave for birth or adoption of a child, personal illness, or that of a qualified family member. In accordance with the ACGME Institutional Requirements (IV.H.1.a) the first 6 weeks of the first approved leave will be paid at 100% of their salary and will ensure the continuation of health and disability insurance benefits for residents/fellows and their eligible dependents during any approved medical, parental or caregiver leave(s) of absence. Residents will be provided with a minimum of one week of paid time off reserved for use outside of the first six weeks of the first approved medical, parental, or caregiver leave(s) of absence taken.

Orientation Stipends: Incoming residents will receive $150 per day for estimated 10 days before July 1st for orientation.

Educational / Travel Allowance: In addition to basic salary, each resident is entitled to reimbursement for items that support and advance their education and training, including travel when presenting at a conference or meeting. All reimbursements must be approved by the Program Director and DIO.
PGY1 residents receive a $1,000 allowance for approved expenses.
PGY2 to PGY6 residents receive a $2,000 allowance per year for approved expenses.
Examples of Approved Items

• Medical Textbooks (paper or electronic)
• Journal Subscriptions (paper or electronic)
• Conference Registration
• Question Banks
• Medical apps (individual use only)
• Medical Society Memberships outside of House Staff Benefits
• Board Prep Materials
• Travel Expenses

Examples of NON-Approved Items

• Reimbursement of full licensure
• Step 3 exam fees
• Device or Equipment
• Operating Systems

USMLE Step 3: Each resident is eligible for reimbursement for their USLME Step 3 exam if taken and passed in their PGY-1 year or first year of residency at Company.

Texas Physician-in-Training Permit (PIT): Incoming residents will be reimbursed for their PIT License application fee.

Lab Coats and Scrubs: Residents/Fellows are issued two lab coats and two sets of scrubs during their first year of training unless otherwise specified by the training program. One additional lab coat and one set of scrubs will be given to each resident at the beginning of the second year unless otherwise specified by the training program.

Professional Membership Dues: Membership Dues for all residents in the Texas Medical Association and Hidalgo/Cameron County Medical Society are provided. Additional membership may be specified by your training program.

Certification: Residents will receive reimbursement for required certifications, such as BLS, ACS, and ATLS.

Additional Resident Benefits Include:

• Medical Insurance and Prescription Drug Coverage: Company offers each resident medical insurance coverage. Residents have the option to add their spouse and/or children. Residents will be responsible for deductibles and co-pays.
• Dental and Vision Insurance: Dental and vision insurance is available for both residents and their families. This is an optional coverage and each resident is responsible for the cost.
• Health Care and Dependent Care FSA: Residents may enroll in the flexible spending accounts (FSAs). FSAs allow you to set money aside from your earnings before taxes are withheld to put into an account used to pay out-of-pocket health care expenses with the Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA) or qualifying dependent daycare expenses.
• Basic Group Term Life (GTL): Residents are provided Basic GTL in the amount of 1x their salary at no cost and without Evidence of Insurability (EOI). Additional Voluntary GTL insurance is available with or without Basic GTL.
• Disability Insurance: Residents are offered long-term disability insurance at no cost. Short-term disability can be purchased as an optional insurance.
• Professional Liability Insurance: Residents are covered under the Company professional liability policy at no cost.
• Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment: Basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance (AD&D) is part of the Company’s benefit package at no cost. Residents may choose to enroll themselves and eligible dependents in optional Voluntary AD&D Insurance.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion